"Not your average Monday morning then," I thought as I wobbled on my paddleboard in the Mediterranean while trying to perfect my downdog.

In fact, the mere idea of doing yoga in the sea had seemed ludicrous before we set off to Cyprus, impossible to visualise from the confines of the office, a hilarious concept.

And yet there we were, at 8am, serene, balanced, calm and rejoicing in this wonderful island that we were unearthing day by day.

Instead of finding the exercise hysterically funny, as expected, only howling when we fell in, it was one of the most memorable experiences; the silver seas as yet unlit by the day’s scorching suns, blinding us, the exercise setting us up for the day, a brief window of peace before touristville kicked back in for a another glorious day of sunshine.

We were staying at the wonderfully named Palm Beach Hotel and Bungalows, a nod to Frank Sinatra et al revelling in the 1950s sunshine.

Situated just outside Larnaka, with its own private beach, pools and endless facilities on tap, The Palm Beach was hard to leave, but how else could we explore the area and the region and find out what makes Larnaka so distinct, so different from it’s more famous cousin Ayia Napa at the other end of the island?

We spent a few days relaxing by the choice of pools, bars and restaurants, sauntering over to the beach for a quick dip, lying in the sea or swimming out past the stone jetties into the Med beyond.

In May the sea was still a tad nippy but still heavenly compared to the Atlantic and we lounged the days away on our outdoor daybeds, complete with cushions and drapes, which appeared as soon as we stepped out into the impressive pool area every morning.

And no the sand wasn’t white but it made no difference to the sun worshippers, unable to believe their luck at these high temperatures so early on in the year - bearing in mind that Cyprus is much further south than most Mediterranean islands, the weather is a much safer bet here.

Determined to explore we reluctantly peeled ourselves away to try the yoga, organised by Sup Yoga further up the beach. And what a heavenly experience it was.

Then a quick walk through old Larnaka to the artists quarter where we took a tour around their studios, expecting it to be very commercial and full of gaudy trinkets, rather than the artisans we found at work, who were truly inspiring and nestled down in a series of white-washed, winding streets with blue shutters. Here painters, sculptors and potters, wire workers, installationists and ceramicists opened our eyes to the real world beavering away beyond our hotel walls.

We purchased far too much before arriving exhausted at Christina's Alasia tavern where she treated us to some extraordinary and delicious local specialities which involved deep fried sausages, like a breadcrumbed sausage roll, and cream puffs so light I thought they might drift away.

Freshly squeezed orange juice, a great greek salad and some fried halloumi completed our breakfast before we set out once again, vowing to return to find the town’s famous food market.

The colour and variety of fruit and vegetables, cheeses, jams and honey hurt our eyes, the farmers sitting proudly behind their produce.

Finally dragged away, our tour leader finally arrived at what looked like a very old if rather plain church St Lazarus into which we dutifully followed her. Inside was one of the most awe-inspiring and ornate interiors I've ever witnessed.

We eventually emerged blinking into the daylight and while the sea front is more commercial, within a minute's walk you can find the real Larnaka and we settled in one of the pretty bars dotting the streets for a well earned cold beer.

Retiring back to the hotel, we were again faced with the difficult decision of where to eat, there being numerous restaurants to choose from – inside or out? Upstairs or down? Snack or a full blown dinner?

Regardless of where we chose, we always ended up outside watching the sun going down and enjoying the warm breeze and a cocktail, sometimes opting for a late night swim, making the most of every second.

The temperatures rarely changed and we were utterly immersed in The Palm Beach’s gentle, immaculate, decadent way of life. Get up, eat a lovely breakfast, read, swim, chat, maybe pop out in the afternoon to look around and do some shopping. .

On the last night we ventured into Larnaka for dinner, heading back to Christina’s who greeted us like long lost daughters and told us some of Cyprus’ history. That the island is split into the Turkish and Greek sides obviously still jars and it’s an uneasy alliance, but that aside, historically it was enormously valuable and therefore continually plundered, as evident in the architecture.

Wandering into town we found some fun bars and nightspots, stumbling home much later that night to our luxurious hotel suite from where we could view the sea stretching out into the distance.

With flights to and from Birmingham and the airport a mere 20 minutes away, we managed to spend our entire last day by the pool, even lunching there in the shady depths of the restaurant, meeting the charming hotel manager Antonis Papakyriakou, who works hard to make his hotel as contemporary and relaxing as possible.

I don’t need to tell you how sorry we were to pack up and leave, despite the genuine and friendly farewells from the hotel and its staff.

But now and again, the memory of my paddleboard on the silvery sea or the white of the poolside daybeds accentuating the blues of the skies, comes back to me, and that, at least, is something - the little piece of Cyprus that I brought home with me.

Monarch (www.monarch.co.uk), the scheduled leisure airline, operates year round flights to Larnaca, Cyprus from Birmingham, London Luton, London Gatwick and Leeds Bradford airports with fares, including taxes, starting from £89 one way (£186 return). Package prices for a short 4-nights stay at the refurbished and renovated, popular Palm Beach Hotel & Bungalows (www.palmbeachhotel.com) with this beachfront location, lush gardens, superb facilities including free wi-fi, start from £408.81 per person based on two adults sharing a room on bed and breakfast including return scheduled flights from Birmingham mid October 2016. For general information on Larnaka visit www.larnakaregion.com

http://www.windsurfcitycyprus.com/EN/home.html